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Blessed saint Patrick,
glorious Apostle of Ireland,
who
didst become a friend and father to me
for ages before my birth,
hear my prayer and accept, for God,
the sentiments
of gratitude and veneration
with which my heart is filled.
Through thee I have inherited that faith
which is dearer
than life.
I now make thee the representative of my thanks,
and the mediator of my homage to Almighty God.
Most holy
Father and patron of my country,
despise not my weakness;
remember that the cries of little children
were the sounds
that rose,
like a mysterious voice from heaven,
and invited thee to come amongst us.
Listen, then, to my humble supplication;
may
my prayer ascend to the throne of God,
with the praises and blessings
which shall ever sanctify thy name and thy memory.
May
my hope be animated
by the patronage and intercession of our forefathers,
who now enjoy eternal bliss and owe their
salvation,
under God, to thy courage and charity.
Obtain for me grace to love God
with my whole heart,
to serve
him with my whole strength,
and to persevere in good purposes to the end,
o faithful shepherd of the Irish flock,
who
wouldst have laid down a thousand lives to save one soul,
take my soul,
and the souls of my countrymen,
under thy
special care.
Be a father to the Church of Ireland
and her faithful people.
Grant that all hearts may share the blessed
fruits of that Gospel
thou didst plant and water.
Grant that, as our ancestors of old had learned,
under thy guidance,
to
unite science with virtue,
we too, may learn, under thy patronage,
to consecrate all Christian duty to the glory of
God.
I commend to thee my native land,
which was so dear to thee while on earth.
Protect it still, and, above all,
direct
its chief pastors,
particularly those who teach us.
Give them grace to walk in thy footsteps,
to nurture the flock
with the word of life
and the bread of salvation,
and to lead the heirs of the Saints thou hast formed
to the possession
of that glory which they,
with Thee, enjoy in the kingdom of the Blessed:
through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.
V.
Pray for us, O glorious saint Patrick.
R. And obtain for us the intention of this Novena.
SAINT PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE
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At TARA in this awful hour, I will call upon the Trinity,
Glory to Him who reigneth in power,
The God of Elements, Father and Son,
The Holy Spirit, which Three are but One
Omnipotent, Eternal Deity.
This
day I will call upon the Lord,
to make me strong with seraph's power,
to make me share in angel's love.
in all
the merits of the saints,
in all the prayers of patriarchs,
in preaching by apostles done;
in glory by the martyrs
won;
confessors faith and virgin's hope-
in all the charity of righteous men,
This day I call upon the Lord,
May
God's own life my life preserve;
May God's own wisdom be my guide;
May God's own vision be my sight;
May God's
own ear my hearing be;
May God's own word bespeak my thoughts;
God's arm bring down my foes to naught;
God's hand
defend me from all hurt;
-against the wiles of demon craft
-against the snares of evil men
-against whatever might
cause my fall.
Christ be my light to illumine and guide me!
Christ be my shield to cover and guard me!
Christ be
under me, Christ be over me!
Christ beside me, left and right-
Christ before me, behind me, about me,
Christ this
day within without me-
Christ in every heart that thinks of me-
Christ in every mouth that speaks to me-
Christ in
every eye that sees me-
Christ in every ear that hears me!
This day I call upon the Lord,
upon the Holy Trinity,
upon the Source of our Salvation,
to bless our homes, our lands, our race-
to grant us peace-His mercy-and His
grace.
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